Tax time

April 15 reminds me of this classic bit from the Simpsons:

[the Simpson family is in front of the tv as a news report of people standing in line to pay their taxes is playing]

Homer: "Would you look at those morons, I paid my taxes over a year ago!"
Lisa: "Dad ..."
Homer: "What is it, sweety? Did you see a scary picture in your picture book?"
Lisa: "That was last year's taxes, you have to pay again this year."
Homer: "No, because you see, I went ahead and ... year-wise, I was counting forward from the last previous ... D'oh!"
Marge: "I put the tax forms on top of your to-do pile a month ago!"
Homer: "I have a to-do pile?" [camera pans to show huge stack of papers with a Duff beer can on top] "Marge, how many kids do we have? Oooooh, no time to count, I'll have to estimate -- nine."
Marge: "Homer, you know we don't have --"
Homer: "Shut up, shut up -- if I don't hear you, it's not illegal. Okay, I need some deductions, deductions, deductions -- ah, business gifts!" [takes down painting from behind couch and hands it to Marge] "Here you go, keep using nuclear power."
Marge: "Homer, I painted that for you."
Homer: "Okay, Marge, if anybody asks, you require 24-hour nursing care, Lisa is a clergyman, Maggie is seven people, and Bart was wounded in Vietnam."


From there, it gets complicated to describe, and is one of the better episodes. In fact, I think I'll watch it right now.

Quotes from Simpsons episode 5F14, "The Trouble with Trillions" Season 9, Episode 20, Original airdate: April 5, 1998; Written by Ian Maxtone-Graham, Directed by Swinton Scott. ©1998 Fox Broadcasting, a division of News Corp., primarily owned by Rupert Murdoch, billionaire tyrant. Copyright subsequently renewed. Please don't sue me.